Fire extinguishing release valve



Oct. 27, 1959 v. E, FERGUSON l 2,910,082

FIRE EXTINGUISHING RELEASE VALVE Filed Sept. 24. 1956 IN V EN TOR.

VeYNoN E. Ferri uvson! United States Patent FIRE EXTINGUISHING RELEASE VALVE Vernon E. Ferguson, Swan, Mo.

Application September 24, '1956, Serial No. 611,418 1 claim. (ci. lav-6s) This invention relates to valves for the instantaneous release of lire extinguishing liuids normally held under pressure in a suitable container, the release valve being located at any desired point in a lire extinguishing system and actuated by any suitable means, such as a temperature operated solenoid, an explosive cartridge, or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to produce a valve of the character indicated which 'will not freeze shut Where there might be a tendency for the extinguishing fluid to chemically react with or corrode valve parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanism in which the operative parts are not exposed to the fire extinguishing fluid except when the valve has been opened for operation.Y

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain new and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through one type of valve embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental perspective view of parts of the operative mechanism as shown in Figure 1.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 is a valve body having inlet and outlet threaded bosses 2 and 3, for respective connection with tube or pipes to the lire extinguishing fluid reservoir and to one or more lire distributing nozzles or the like, not shown. The valve body 1 is internally formed with an inlet port 4 normally closed by a swinging valve plate 5 fwhich is pivoted at 6 within the valve body. Where the re extinguishing lluid may be more or less corrosive in nature and to guard against any possibility of leakage which might result in a freezing of the operative parts, the valve plate 5 may constitute a back-up plate for a rupturable disk 7 soldered in the throat of the port 5, as illustrated. The disk 7 and lweight of the plate 5 are so designed that the disk will be instantaneously ruptured by the pressure of the re ex- "ice tinguishing fluid when the plate 5 is not held against the disk to withstand the pressure.

To maintain the valve plate 5 in position, it is backed up by a breakable rod comprising two parts 8 and 9, preferably terminating at their abutting ends in a notch 10, the ends being held in alignment by a light soldered joint. Rod section 8 has a rounded end 11 which fits in a socket in the back of the disk 5, and rod section 9 has a socket 12 receiving the rounded end of a threaded bolt 13 extending exteriorly of the valve body 1 and held in adjusted position by a lock nut 14.

The trigger mechanism to break the rod 8-9 comprises a U-shaped yoke 15 secured to the end of a sliding stem 16 extending outwardly through the threaded cap 17 of the valve body 1. Theends of the yoke 15 carry a pin constituting a hammer shoulder 18 received in the notch 10 which constitutes an anvil shoulder, in alignment with the abutting ends of rods 8 and 9. The hammer or pin 18 does not normally contact the notch or anvil 10, as it has been found that the breaking action is more effective if the hammer is in motion at the time it strikes the anvil. Stern 16 is forcibly propelled by any suitable means, such as by a solenoid, an explosive cartridge or the like, and the resulting action causes pin or hammer shoulder 18'to travel forward and strike the anvil shoulder 10 to break the joint between rods 8-9 and release the lire extinguishing iluid.

From the above description and drawing, it will be apparent that I have produced a construction embodying all of the features of advantage set forth as desirable, and while I have described and illustrated the preferred construction, it is to be understood that I reserve the right t0 all changes within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a control valve, the combination with a valve casing having a port, a valve plate pivoted in the valve casing and normally closing the port, a break-joint member abutting the valve plate andA valve casing at its opposite ends to hold the valve plate against opening pivotal movement, and a valve stem movable through the valve casing and having a shoulder adapted to strike and rupture the breakjoint member and release the valve plate for opening pivotal movement.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain July 5, 1950 

